Overland Travel Across Borders: A Tale of Two Frontiers
Pilgrim Mehran Shalamcheh Arba’een Holy City Rush
A history etched by both conflict and profound faith defines the long frontier between Iran and Iraq. This nearly 1,600-kilometer line, running from Turkey down to the Persian Gulf, is not merely a political boundary but a path for millions of pilgrims and a primary artery for regional trade. Your experience crossing here is deeply tied to this complex and layered identity.
Kurdistan Bashmaq and Shatt al-Arab War Echoes
You will find approximately nine official crossing points along this border. Several connect directly with federal Iraq: Shalamcheh (near Basra), Chazabeh, Mehran (a major pilgrimage route), and Khosravi are the most prominent. Further north, crossings into the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq include Parviz Khan, Bashmaq, and Haji Omran. Each serves a mix of local, commercial, and international traffic.